The body was "concealed by trees and shrubbery" about 30 or 40 yards from a trail, Pittman said.

"We are characterizing it a suspicious death," he said.

Veronica Ruiz was last seen Dec. 3, two days after she and her boyfriend of two years broke up. A message Sunday on a Web site maintained by her family said the coroner is using dental records to see whether the body is Ruiz's.